The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Union of India and the State of Punjab to provide proper medical aid to farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose health was reportedly deteriorating due to his fast unto death.
Expressing concerns over the health of Dallewal, the Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan directed both the Central and state governments to ensure that the senior citizen was not forced to break his fast.
While agreeing to the suggestion, Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh said that the use of force might result in an “unsavoury situation.”
The Bench directed the AG to initiate a direct communication with Dallewal, stating that his life was more precious than agitations. It suggested that the representatives of both the Centre and Punjab government should immediately meet Dallewal and other farmer leaders to convince them that the immediate concern was to provide him with medical aid.
It was the ‘bounden’ duty of the Punjab government and the Union of India to take all peaceful measures to provide adequate and immediate medical aid to Dallewal, without forcing him to break his fast, unless it was imperative to save his life, the Court recorded in its order.
The Punjab AG requested the Apex Court not to specifically direct the shifting of Dallewal to the hospital, stating that such a direction may create problems. The AG assured that the State would do the needful without any specific direction.
The Bench passed the order on a petition filed by the Haryana government against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s direction to unblock the Shambhu Border between the States of Punjab and Haryana.
The Apex Court would take up the matter next on December 17.
Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26. He had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding his demands.
The Shambhu Border between the States of Punjab and Haryana was closed in February this year due to the farmer stir. One of the major demands by the farmers include statutory guarantee for the Minimum Support Price for crops.
During today’s hearing, the High-Powered Committee constituted earlier by the Supreme Court to look into the matter, agreed to persuade the farmers to temporarily shift the protest venue and clear the National Highway for smooth traffic or temporarily suspend their agitation.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh agreed with the Committee’s proposal to persuade the protesters.
The Member Secretary of the Committee, who was present in the Court, assured that the Committee would take up this proposal in its very next meeting as a preliminary issue and file a report in this regard.
In September this year, the top court of the country had constituted a High-Powered Committee to hold negotiations with the farmers protesting at the Shambhu border between the States of Punjab and Haryana.
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Expressing concerns over the health of Dallewal, the Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan directed both the Central and state governments to ensure that the senior citizen was not forced to break his fast.
While agreeing to the suggestion, Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh said that the use of force might result in an “unsavoury situation.”
The Bench directed the AG to initiate a direct communication with Dallewal, stating that his life was more precious than agitations. It suggested that the representatives of both the Centre and Punjab government should immediately meet Dallewal and other farmer leaders to convince them that the immediate concern was to provide him with medical aid.
It was the ‘bounden’ duty of the Punjab government and the Union of India to take all peaceful measures to provide adequate and immediate medical aid to Dallewal, without forcing him to break his fast, unless it was imperative to save his life, the Court recorded in its order.
The Punjab AG requested the Apex Court not to specifically direct the shifting of Dallewal to the hospital, stating that such a direction may create problems. The AG assured that the State would do the needful without any specific direction.
The Bench passed the order on a petition filed by the Haryana government against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s direction to unblock the Shambhu Border between the States of Punjab and Haryana.
The Apex Court would take up the matter next on December 17.
Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border between Punjab and Haryana since November 26. He had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding his demands.
The Shambhu Border between the States of Punjab and Haryana was closed in February this year due to the farmer stir. One of the major demands by the farmers include statutory guarantee for the Minimum Support Price for crops.
During today’s hearing, the High-Powered Committee constituted earlier by the Supreme Court to look into the matter, agreed to persuade the farmers to temporarily shift the protest venue and clear the National Highway for smooth traffic or temporarily suspend their agitation.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh agreed with the Committee’s proposal to persuade the protesters.
The Member Secretary of the Committee, who was present in the Court, assured that the Committee would take up this proposal in its very next meeting as a preliminary issue and file a report in this regard.
In September this year, the top court of the country had constituted a High-Powered Committee to hold negotiations with the farmers protesting at the Shambhu border between the States of Punjab and Haryana.
The post appeared first on .